Zimbabwean-born lecturer living in South Africa helping needy people back home

When Zimbabwean Ricky Mukanyaradzi Mukonza left his beloved country nine years ago and joined the ever-growing number of his fellow country men and women living in the diaspora, he never imagined that one day he will be involved in assisting the less privileged in his home area of Marondamashanu in Chivhu, Mashonaland East province.

Ricky Mukanyaradzi Mukonza

Mukonza, a public management lecturer at Tswane University of Technology, South Africa, is paying school fees for a number of under-privileged children.

He also buys farming inputs for some families and even helps Zimbabweans in South Africa in different ways.

Mukonza is also working with some lecturers at the University of Zimbabwe in writing a textbook on public sector budgeting in Zimbabwe.

“You would find that the effects of economic downturn that we have had in Zimbabwe have also affected the knowledge production sector, so my idea is that I must make a contribution in the knowledge production,” said Mukonza.

Mukonza said resources permitting, he and his wife hope to expand the number of children they are assisting from to 15 to 20 this year so that many can benefit from his project. VOA Zimbabwe